Kennda Lynch

Kennda Lynch
A photo of Dr. Kennda Lynch in the field, examining materials in an ancient lake bed
Lynch at a Mars analog field site in Pilot Valley, Utah, U.S.
Born
United States
Occupation(s)Astrobiologist, scientist, engineer
Scientific career
FieldsAstrobiology, science, engineering
InstitutionsUniversities Space. Research Association - Lunar and Planetary Institute, NASA Johnson Space Center, Georgia Institute of Technology/University of Montana, Jacobs Sverdrup/ Lockheed Martin Space Operations, International Space Station Program, Abbott Laboratories, The Boeing Company
Academic advisorsDr. David Klaus (grad), Dr. Junko Munakata Marr (grad), Dr. John Spear (grad)

Kennda Lian Lynch is an American astrobiologist and geomicrobiologist who studies polyextremophiles.[1][2] She has primarily been affiliated with NASA.[3] She identifies environments on Earth with characteristics that may be similar to environments on other planets, and creates models that help identify characteristics that would indicate an environment might host life.[4] Lynch also identifies what biosignatures might look like on other planets.[4][5] Much of Lynch's research on analog environments has taken place in the Pilot Valley Basin in the Great Salt Desert of northwestern Utah, U.S.[6] Her work in that paleolake basin informed the landing location of NASA's Perseverance Rover mission—at another paleolake basin called Jezero Crater.[7] Jim Green, Chief Scientist at NASA, called Lynch "a perfect expert to be involved in the Perseverance rover."[8] Helping to select the proper landing site for NASA's first crewed mission to Mars in 2035 is another of Lynch's projects.[9] Lynch has appeared in multiple television series, as well as The New York Times,[7] Nature,[10] Scientific American,[11] and Popular Science.[6] Cell Press designated Lynch one of the most inspiring Black scientists in the United States.[12]

  1. ^ "Astrobiologist: We should gene-hack new traits into Mars settlers". Futurism. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  2. ^ Oakes, Kelly (2019-06-18). "Ethiopia's Strange Volcanic Landscapes Are Irresistible to Scientists (and Tourists)". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  3. ^ Gary, Alex. "1991 Young American: Kennda Lynch". Rockford Register Star. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  4. ^ a b Smith, Yvette (2021-02-02). "Astrobiologist Kennda Lynch Uses Analogs on Earth to Find Life on Mars". NASA. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  5. ^ Emily, Scott (2017-05-10). "Exploring new worlds: GE alumna Kennda Lynch creates a career in astrobiology". The Grainger College of Engineering - University of Illinois. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  6. ^ a b Kaufman, Mark D. (15 February 2017). "Aliens are probably out there, according to Winston Churchill". Popular Science. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  7. ^ a b Chang, Kenneth (2020-07-28). "How NASA Found the Ideal Hole on Mars to Land In". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  8. ^ Daines, Gary (2020-08-14). "Looking For Life in Ancient Lakes" (Season 4, Episode 15 ). Gravity Assist. NASA. Podcast. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  9. ^ San Miguel, Renay (2019-02-26). "Searching for Life on Mars and Beyond". ScienceMatters. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  10. ^ Witze, Alexandra (2020-07-30). "NASA has launched the most ambitious Mars rover ever built: here's what happens next". Nature. 584 (7819): 15–16. Bibcode:2020Natur.584...15W. doi:10.1038/d41586-020-02257-w. PMID 32733099.
  11. ^ O'Callaghan, Jonathan. "Summer on Mars: NASA's Perseverance Rover Is One of Three Missions Ready to Launch". Scientific American. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  12. ^ Hinton, Antentor O. Jr. "100 more inspiring Black scientists in America". crosstalk.cell.com. Retrieved 2021-03-03.